Drove out to Reston this evening for a company meeting. Even after years of working for clients in Reston, I am still struck by how much it has changed since the 70s and 80s. As a kid, I remember going there to swim in Lake Fairfax or watch the fireworks on the Fourth. Then as a teenager, around the time the toll road was built, Peter and I used to make the long drive out Route 7 from McLean to see Missy and Holly. I doubt I ever rode on the toll road until Helen and I returned to the area in 1996 and I was assigned to a project in Reston. Until then, the idea of paying a toll to go to Reston seemed absurd. I always wondered who would want a superhighway to Reston in the first place. But it has certainly been a success, in a sprawling, uncontrolled way. (My favorite example of this is the now-permanent "Temporary Rd.")
Here's a shot of the ubiquitous cranes in the Town Center, where our meeting was. It's a very attractive area for dining or hanging out, but the stores are narrowly marketed to (I'm guessing here, but can't be far off) rich women with large wardrobe closets. What kind of town center has no drug store, supermarket, hardware store, or book store?
Pictures from the RDA meeting here: clicky.